This blog is dedicated to treating everyone - clients, prospects, friends, and family - as valuable partners. We should show them our gratitude through all our actions, including our marketing.

November 30, 2014

Building, and Maintaining, Relationships

When we first meet anyone, we should never prejudge them and
whether they would ever enter into a business relationship with us. We should
get to know them, decide if we like them, and decide if we can trust them. Then,
if we cannot help them find what they need, we must try to connect them with
someone who may be able to help them, or who knows someone else who might be of
assistance.

When we develop a relationship with others we become their
partner and have a vested interest in their success. We should have the type of
relationship where we can call on each other for referrals, advice, and
assistance without keeping score on who has done what for whom. The best
partner works to help the other person be successful without expecting referral
for referral in return.

Recently I heard a person at a networking meeting say that
he was interested in matching referrals with others, giving the other person
referrals for each one he himself received. That is keeping score, exactly what
we agreed we should not do. That is self-serving, and it benefits no one.

So what if someone does give us a referral, perhaps one
which puts a significant amount of money in our pocket? What do we do if we
cannot become their client or do not know someone who needs what they have? We
have to wait and try to put someone in touch with them who may provide a
mutually beneficial relationship to both parties. That is Gratitude Marketing and shows
that we are grateful to both parties.

Networking relationships, like all partnerships, must be
built and maintained, through mutual hard work and benefit for both parties. They
do not start or stop on a specific date or time, and they do not take a recess
for any holiday or event. You may be able to assist your networking partner in
business, while one, or both, of you is on vacation, or you may be able to help
someone through email, phone, or direct contact.

When we first meet anyone there are plus and minuses about
them. There are certain aspects about them that we like and other
characteristics that we do not like. There may also be characteristics that we
just cannot tolerate. If the latter is true, are these characteristics
deal-breakers; can we accept these and tolerate them to the degree that we want
to maintain the relationship?

Sounds somewhat like buying a house or starting a personal
relationship, doesn’t it? Well, it is, and it should be treated as such. Networking
is work, and building and maintaining relationships is also work. However, just
like marketing our businesses, we are rewarded for our efforts with success.

Relationships are the lifeblood of our business success.
Through building, and maintaining, relationships, we can gain success for
ourselves, and for our networking partners. However, we must work to do our
part and make sure that we keep the interests of our networking partners
foremost in our minds and efforts. It then pays off for everyone.

How would you rate your business and networking
relationships? Do you believe that you are benefiting from them, and do you
learn from your experiences in them? Your comments here, or your emails at Jim@SOC4Now.com,or your calls at 360-314-8691 are
always welcome, even if you disagree.